10 Totally Soul-Crushing WWE Title Changes

10. Randy Orton Vs Triple H (Unforgiven 2004)

It was Randy Orton's legend being killed before even becoming fully established when WWE elected to have Triple H outsmart and outfight him less than a month after winning his first World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004.

Steering into fan sentiment as they'd almost never do now, the company acknowledged the growing support for Evolution's young lion following his impassioned war with Mick Foley earlier that year, and elected to anoint him the youngest ever holder of Raw's top title with the August victory over Chris Benoit.

In storyline (and perhaps in reality too...) this didn't sit well with Triple H, who hadn't clung tightly to his beloved strap since dropping it to 'The Crippler' at March's WrestleMania 20. Orchestrating a turn alongside Batista and Ric Flair, HHH brutalised the new champion on his first night with the belt, leaving him alone beyond support Orton had garnered from the crowd.

In the two weeks that followed, the sentiment rapidly dwindled as Randy was booked to look like a coward and a lousy schemer, with it already being established that he couldn't hold on to friends.

The burial was complete when he couldn't hold on to the title. At the first attempt, and with only limited Evolution support, Triple H soundly beat 'The Legend Killer', returning Raw to its pre-WrestleMania status quo and quashing Orton's babyface momentum almost entirely.